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Based on a few tiny clues, and maybe completely inaccurately, I believe some of the C8’s roof visual treatments will be different from the C7’s. Am I fishing? Or have we have a clue to this during the last year of the C7?
A) First, however addressing “might we have six different C8 couple roof options?”
We will be having six different roof options — at least that is what we think, though again all based on whether both the leaked specs ring true for you, and whether you believe the below quote from “NBVette4U.
Originally posted by NBVette4u
From my way of counting, we will have three coupe roof options, e.g., body colored (though made of carbon fiber as were the C7’s — for lower center of gravity), visible carbon fiber, and lastly, a translucent polycarbonate option. Was NBVette4U counting a dual roof package as two different choices (e.g. , 3x2 =6), as each part of each dual roof package is separately and individually order-able and thus will there only really be three different C8 coupe visual options?
Relatedly, might we later learn of three more parallel options for the HT Spyder?
B) Different C8 Roof Visual Presentations Possible?
Intro: Already we are seeing more than a couple of automedia, now that the alleged specs are out, their not being happy with so many of the C8’s options, even its probable model codes, being an exact repeat of the C7’s in terms of both nomenclature and even its option codes. They are openly asking, should not the radical change to a mid engine bring out more changes? Question asked now, but to be only later answered.
Referring to the C7’s roof and how that might be changing to the C8, I see two probable visual differences — one of which was hinted at in the 2019 ZR1.
Predictions (which sure could be wrong):
1) The body colored roof spears on the visible carbon fiber roof are IMO going away in the C8. They were so distinctive, that it is time for a change. Also some questioned their front end visual treatment vis-a-vis the black “A” pillars, others the squared off front of the body color as it moved forward and then touched the visible carbon fiber roof. Yet, others really like that intersection.
Even with a Torch Red, this picture I took at the 1.13.13 reveal, that transition was, dare I say it, less than elegant.
2) The second change I am thinking is coming is that the halo bar will be more “color integrated for the visible carbon fiber roof option. When I was at 1.13.13 one thing that struck me, and I did not hesitate to later raise this issue (although very, very tactfully) with two top members of the Corvette team, specifically I thought especially on a light coloredC7 having a visible carbon fiber roof, with many tinting their C7’s windows, that you had too many light to dark to light to dark changes happening on the roof. Starting with even the Torch Red picture I took at the C7’s reveal, then more showing why IMO the halo bar should be visually identical to the roof for at least the visible CF roof option.
I suggested to those two top Corvette team members, that many who were buying the visible carbon fiber roof would gladly pay an additional $395 for the halo bar to be that identical visible CF. I even sent this sketch to one of the top members of the Corvette team, showing him how this would, again in my opinion, look better, and at $395 or even $495, would be a good money maker for GM.
Was GM listening to that concept when on the 2019 ZR1 they added a black vinyl trim piece, option code DW9 called a “black out roof decal” — that is standard on the Sebring Orange Design Package ? Was that 2019 introduction a foretelling of the halo’s visual treatment on the C8 being the same as the C8’s roof? Only at the C8’s reveal will we know...
Separately, a very funny story about the ZR1 coupe’s reveal in Dubai, that whereas that SO Design Package lists that black out vinyl halo bar covering, it was missing at the coupe’s reveal. How come? It was learned that the detailing staff in Dubai, when removing the white protecting traveling vinyl pieces, thought that the black vinyl one on the halo bar was just a different covered piece of vinyl protection, took it off and threw it away. GM replaced it on the ZR1 coupe shown at the LA ZR1 reveal three weeks later.
I also just learned from Mike Furman that an early customer Sebring Orange Design Package ZR1 came without the black out roof decal — which was just fine with that owner as he did not like it anyway.
Seriously, placing a rectangular piece of black vinyl on the halo bar on a $120,000+ car is not going to help Corvette compete with our upcoming major C8 visual competitors, the Euro exotics. A vinyl covering on the halo bar, especially as it was in a different color than everything else near that location, needs to be improved on the C8.
I am optimistic the C8’s roof treatments will be better than that isolated singular black vinyl halo piece, but how is GM is specifically planning to do that, is not yet known.
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